Harry Potter and the Random Rescue
by learningtowrite1996
Summary: A couple of years after the war, while Harry Potter is wandering around in London he comes across a Muggle woman in trouble. Who better to save her than him? One-shot. Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione. T cause I'm paranoid, nothing bad happens.


**Hey! This idea just popped into my head today while I was watching Criminal Minds haha. Its just after the final battle, a one-shot about Harry finding a muggle woman in the street in need of his goodness and heroics. Enjoy and review :)**

Harry Potter and the Random Rescue

"Harry? Would you come in here? I need your help with something."

Harry sighed. That was Hermione's voice, most likely asking for more help on the wedding. Why Ron had decided to propose to Hermione exactly twenty-four hours after Harry did to Ginny was beyond him. Not only had it nearly given Mrs. Weasley a heart attack at having two more of her children married, but it put the two lucky girls in a frenzy. Hermione had been constantly pestering him on his opinion for guest lists, ("Oh Harry, _should_ we invite Cho? I think maybe not, she still has a bit of a thing for you. But if she isn't invited, could it hurt her feelings?")

And Ginny had been pestering him about decorations, and catering, and how they were going to fit two weddings in one day. Personally, Harry thought the whole "joint wedding" thing was a lot more trouble than it was worth, but Hermione, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley loved it so there was really no arguing with that. He really didn't care for any big fancy wedding. He had never cared for a big fancy anything. All he cared for was watching his two best friends in the world finally have things work out, and about marrying the best girl on the planet. Some things about that wedding also terrified him. He was terrified at the thought of how many people would be there for four of the most famous kids in the whole wizarding world, and especially worried about the press. Ever since the final battle they had been relentless, and Harry, exhausted basically from his entire life had no energy for their questions and constant interest.

Perhaps he was being rude and unfair. The public wanted to know about his heart, mind, and life. He, the hero of the world, the hero of goodness and light. He would probably want to know too.

"_Harry!_ Didn't you hear me call you?" said his sister's voice.

Harry turned to find Hermione standing in the doorway of the hall. He saw her frustration at him melting away at him like it always did when she could tell he had been thinking about something upsetting. Her face settled into worry.

"What's the matter Harry?" she asked in her kind, caring voice. He felt a rush of affection for her.

"Nothing, nothing," he answered. She raised her eyebrows.

"Oh alright." said Harry grinning. "I'm a little tired, a little stressed out. It's a lot for me. Everything. I mean, it's only been two years." he looked up at her, and saw that she understood.

"Go for a walk. It's pouring rain, but there is an umbrella at the door. And take a jacket, it's freezing." she told him.

He stood up immediately and crossed the room in a flash. Hermione was at his heels pulling his arms into a coat. She fell back when he reached the door. Taking the umbrella in his hand he pulled open the door and felt icy air hit his face. He stepped out into the night.

Standing in the middle of the Burrow's yard, Harry thought of where to go, what to do. He supposed he could go to London and just wander about. He disapparated.

London was beautiful, even when it was pouring rain. The moon was so bright that it could be seen through the clouds. The streets were busy, and the lights were pretty and bright. Harry breathed in the icy air and felt the droplets on his face. It was raining too hard for his umbrella to keep him from getting wet.

He walked down the cobbled street and was knocked to the side as a young woman rushed past him holding a little child in her arms. She was running, knocking other people to the side, slipping a little on the wet sidewalk.

Interest sparked Harry's mind. Where could she be going, what was she running from? He received his answer just a moment later when he was once again bumped to the side by a middle-aged man. He was racing after her.

Harry's automatic instinct to investigate overtook him. He closed his umbrella, knowing it would slow him down, and chased after the two people.

He followed the man for a long time. He could still see the woman far ahead, nervously looking over her shoulder every now and again. The two people were no longer running, but walking at a very fast pace. It was clear that the older man was stalking the woman, and that she was very frightened.

The man ducked into a small, dingy looking shop. Harry peered in through the window and saw that the shop was filled with mean looking men that all greeted the man with enthusiasm. The woman was standing a good ten yards away, looking at the shop that the man had just entered. She looked immensely relieved, and hitched her child up higher onto her hip. She met Harry's eyes very briefly, gave him a confused look, and turned on her heel going further down the road.

Harry pulled his invisibility cloak out of his pocket and threw it over himself. He waited until one of the men exited the shop a few moments later, and slipped inside.

"I'm tellin' you boys, she was a beauty."

"Shut up Albert, your stalkin' obsessions getting unhealthy."

The men laughed.

"Unhealthy it may be, but you know I'm always the one that get us the good ones." he smirked back.

There was a murmur of agreement.

Harry was afraid. He had heard of places like this. Of course, no one had ever really told him about such a thing, but he had pretty much figured out all of the horrors of the world on his own. He noticed that the shop wasn't really as small as it appeared from the outside. There was a hallway in the back of the shop that was very long and had at least a dozen different rooms in it. A man came out of one with a truly evil look on his face. He sat down at one of the tables smiling.

"That gal in there's a crack up. Sobbing she is. 'Let me go home. Oh please just let me go home. I'm only sixteen. Please.'"

The men all snickered. Harry felt all the blood rush out of his face.

"Go n' get that beauty queen you were talkin' bout' Albert. Give us a laugh."

"I dunno, she was carryin' a little boy-"

"Even better. D'you know how much a baby is worth on the streets?"

The men's eyes glinted in excitement. Albert stood up.

"I'll be back soon. Don't party too much without me."

He pulled open the door and left. Harry was so horrified that he almost forgot to slip out the door with him. Harry followed the man, leaving his umbrella on the muddy path behind.

He must have walked for at least an hour. Albert seemed for some strange reason to know exactly where he was going, to find this girl. Harry followed the whole time, full of a fierce determination to save the girl, though he didn't exactly know why.

They, or Albert did find her at last. She was walking towards her car in an abandoned parking lot, looking very pleased to be getting into the safety of her car, out of the rain.

"Eh! Beautiful! Found you finally!" he called.

She stopped short and turned around. Her face was livid with fear and her eyes kept darting to her car. It was plain that she was debating whether to make a run for it.

Then Harry realized why he felt so protective of the woman. As he looked into her terrified face, he also saw a determination behind it. A determination to get her child out of the situation, to save him before herself.

She reminded him of another woman.

She had a kind face like his mum had. She was beautiful with long brown hair. She seemed to be in her mid-twenties. Her child had brown hair like hers and had his head buried against her. She was in the same situation, the same age, had the same purpose. The purpose to keep what she loved safe.

It wasn't going to happen again. It would be an insult to Lily Potter's memory if he didn't save her. He fingered his wand in his pocket.

"S-stop th-here," she stammered. "Don't come any closer. I'll scream."

Albert raised his eyebrows and gave a soft chuckle.

"Scream? Who'll come? Place is completely deserted it is. No one to hear you. No one to help." he stepped closer to her and pulled a silver gun out of his pocket. The woman's face went, if possible, even whiter. She put her hand on the back of her child's head and held him to her.

"Just – if you could – please, my boy. I'll go with you, honest. Just – let me, please. His father, his father – let me take him home. Oh please –" said the woman. Silent tears were now pouring down her face.

"Can't do that sweet. I got orders to bring the kid back to my place. Somethin' bout' babies being worth a lotta money on the streets." he flashed a grin. Harry counted three missing teeth. The woman began to sob and turned, running to her car. Albert chased her and grabbed her by the hair. She screamed and flipped around hitting and punching him.

"No point 'n' screaming, didn't I tell you? No one here – "

"I'm here." said Harry loudly. He had pulled the invisibility cloak off of himself. Albert whirled around to see the person speaking. He laughed at the sight of Harry.

"You're here are yeh? What're you? Sixteen? A scrawny sixteen year old at that." he sneered.

"No, not sixteen. Nineteen to be exact." he said calmly walking closer. "I'm not the healthiest-looking kid I suppose, but I haven't exactly had the healthiest life. Still you're right, I'm not very old, but someone did once tell me that youth can be far more powerful than someone that is old and has lived without love."

Albert looked surprised. Whatever he had expected Harry to say, it wasn't that.

"Your name kid?" he asked.

"Harry. Harry Potter."

"What're your parents gonna say when the police come knockin' sayin' they found yer dead body?"

"They're dead."

"Oh, outcast you are? Good, you'll be easy. No one will be lookin' for you."

"I assure you Sir they will. In fact, they may be right now."

"Then run on back to them little boy. Leave this to me. You try 'n' fight me, yer dead." And he held tighter to the woman's hair and put the gun to the small of her back.

Harry laughed.

"I have fought men – and women that could kill you in one instant, and mind you I beat them. I have been through nearly every tragedy, every agony. Think of your worst pain and I've felt that ten times over. I have loved and laughed more and for better reasons than you ever have. I have no fear for you sir. Now let the girl go before I take out _my_ weapon."

"You got a gun do you?" asked Albert trying to sound tough, but Harry could see that he was a little nervous now.

"No not a gun. Nothing like that."

"I ain't scared 'o' you kid. Not a little bit. I could beat the 'ell outta you, without my gun."

"Let the girl go sir. Last warning."

Albert rolled his eyes. The woman looked right into Harry's eyes. She shook her head and mouthed _just go._ Harry mouthed _not yet_ back to her.

"Go on kid. Give me your worst, and I'll give you mine. I'm thinkin' at this point to take yeh back to my – shop. They could have some use for yeh there."

Harry's eyes narrowed. He took out his wand, pointed it at Albert, and took a few steps closer. Albert laughed louder than ever.

"Whats that? A stick 'o' wood? Oh – don't tell me, yer a wizard?"

"Precisely." said Harry and he set the garbage can sitting around five feet away on fire with a lazy flick of his wand. Both Albert and the Woman screamed.

"Expelliarmus!" cried Harry, and Albert's gun flew out of his hand right towards Harry.

"Reducto!" he shouted, pointing at the gun. It exploded. The fragments fell to the ground.

Harry looked from the gun fragments up to Albert. He stood stock-still and white. He looked as if he was about to throw up. He released the woman in an instant as if she had burned him and stumbled backwards. He looked at Harry as if all his worst nightmares had come true.

"Wh-hat – ? You – you're a – a – _demon – _you are – "

His eyes flickered to the woman, then back at Harry.

"To 'ell with you." he said to the woman.

And he ran. Ran away down the lane slipping and falling onto the slippery, wet ground. Harry crossed over to him. When he saw Harry towering over him, he screamed.

"Please, oh please. Let me go – let me go. You demon, you."

Harry was so filled with fury, he could hardly contain it. This man was repeating the same words that woman had begged just minutes before. He was a coward, he was slime. He was going to give that woman to all those men, to be theirs, until she died. He was going to sell her child on the street. Her, who had done nothing, who only wanted to love, and to live. Her, who had been kind and good all of her life to everyone, and who died because her son was marked for murder.

Harry now realized that he also had tears streaming down his face. He shut his eyes and turned away from Albert bitterly. He knew he wouldn't kill him. He had known it all along. He couldn't even make him pay for the things he had done. That wasn't how things were solved.

"Go." said Harry calmly and clearly. "Go away from here. Don't you ever touch, or speak to this woman ever again. Never go back to that shop. Don't tell anyone what you have seen tonight. If you do, I shall know."

Albert nodded frantically, stood up and ran away, looking back at Harry over his shoulder twice.

Harry turned around to face the woman. She was standing as if petrified, completely bloodless. Her eyes were wide and she was clutching her child. She was soaking wet. Harry walked towards her and she did not back away.

"What _are _you?" she whispered when Harry had come close enough.

"Never mind that Miss, just know that what I am, I'm the good side."

"So there is a bad side?"

"Isn't there a bad side to everything?"

She gulped.

"Don't be afraid," Harry told her. "The bad is gone for now, and the good is overpowering. Good always does win in the end after all." he smiled at her. She smiled back.

"My name is Elizabeth. This is my son, Nick." she showed him the baby, who looked to be about one, and had his eyes wide open.

"I do thank you, for everything. Very brave of you, to come save me. If I could just ask you why?"

"Why what?" asked Harry, taken aback.

"Why did you save me? You followed me, I know it. You followed me from the moment I knocked into you. You see, he had been following me ever since he saw me at lunch. For hours he had. I got lost in the city, and couldn't find my car. Then he went into that shop place and I saw you. But when I turned back to get a closer look you had gone. And while he was attacking me, you appeared again, out of thin air. You followed him into the shop didn't you? Followed him and found out what he was going to do, then came to my rescue."

Harry almost laughed. She had Hermione's logic. Another familiar trait that he so loved.

"You are very smart Elizabeth."

"So I'm right?"

"Exactly."

"So why did you do it?"

Harry looked into her eyes, then at her son, Nick. It was still raining hard. He was soaked to the bone.

"Truthfully miss, I didn't know why at first. Probably because I am naturally drawn to helping people in need. Not always the best trait to have, mind you. And also because you – you remind me of my mother."

She was silent. Her expression was pained.

"I'm so sorry." she whispered. "You were – telling the truth? Your parents are dead?"

"They've been dead. Since I was a baby." he managed.

Neither one spoke for a while. Then Elizabeth broke the silence.

"You know, I don't really know you Harry. At all. I don't know your past, but I can tell its been a hard one. I don't know your personality, but I can tell that you are remarkable. I don't even know what you are, but I know you wont hurt me. I'm sure that if your parents could see you now, they would be thrilled."

Harry gave a small smile.

"Thank you." he said.

Silence again.

"I should go." said Harry. "My fiancee will be worried sick. I've been gone hours. And I'm supposed to be looking after my godson this weekend. I can't be reckless towards him, you see."

She smiled.

"Of course. I should go too. Thank you – for everything. Good luck to you."

They both looked at each other, and she turned away, opened the back door, and buckled Nick in. Then she crossed to the other side and opened the driver's side. Before she got in she looked back up at Harry and gave him a little wave. He returned one.

When Elizabeth got into the car and started the engine she looked out of the window just in time to see the boy twist in midair and vanish. She gave a gasp of amazement and shook her head. She turned the heat up in the car and drove away.

Harry stumbled through the door of the Burrow soaking wet, with tear tracks down his face. He was shivering and exhausted. Ginny Weasley leapt up from the couch and sprinted over to him engulfing him into a bone crushing hug.

"_Where_ on _earth_ have you been? Hermione said you went for a walk but you left hours and hours ago. Why are you so wet? Have you been wandering around in that storm? Did you get lost? Are you all-right? You look – "

"Let him catch his breath Ginny." interrupted Ron who was moving forward, looking anxious, Hermione right behind him. Teddy came bounding in, giggling. When he caught sight of Harry he gave a little squeal of delight and ran over to him tapping on his knees which Harry took to mean he wanted up. He bent over and scooped him into his arms, hugging him tightly. He vaguely heard Hermione muttering something with her wand out, and in a moment he felt his clothes become warm and dry. He looked over Teddy's shoulder to her.

"What happened Harry?" whispered Hermione.

Harry sighed and sat down.

"Well I was walking in London – " he began.

Several weeks later the police station received an anonymous letter stating that if they went into an old bookshop at the corner of Rosella Avenue they would find a long hallway in the back, and that the hallway needed to be inspected immediately. The police followed the letter's instructions and sent a team to go check out the shop. They found horrors in the hallway and arrested every person responsible. Every girl captive was freed. They never did discover who the person was that sent the letter, but one thing was certain; whoever had sent it had saved at least twenty, (and who knew how many in the future) people from hideous lives and deaths.

**All-right, thats it. Kinda dark, I've never written something dark like this. It just popped into my head. Please review. Good, bad, I'll take anything :) :) :)**


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